THE FLIP SIDE OF FRUITFUL MINISTRY

2 CORINTHIANS 11:16-33

NASB

16 Again I say, let no one think me foolish; but if you do, receive me even as foolish, so that I also may boast a little. 17 What I am saying, I am not saying [a]as the Lord would, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting. 18 Since many boast according to the flesh, I will boast also. 19 For you, being so wise, tolerate the foolish gladly. 20 For you tolerate it if anyone enslaves you, anyone devours you, anyone takes advantage of you, anyone exalts himself, anyone hits you in the face. 21 To my shame I must say that we have been weak by comparison.

But in whatever respect anyone else is bold —I speak in foolishness —I am just as bold myself. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they [a]descendants of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? —I speak as if insane —I more so; in [a]far more labors, in [a]far more imprisonments, [b]beaten times without number, often in danger of death. 24 Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. 26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; 27 I have been in labor and hardship, [a]through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and [b]exposure. 28 Apart from such [a]external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak without my being weak? Who is [a]led into sin [b]without my intense concern?

30 If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. 32 In Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me, 33 and I was let down in a basket through a window [a]in the wall, and so escaped his hands.

11:17 [a]Lit in accordance with the Lord 11:22 [a]Lit seed 11:23 [a]Lit more abundant [b]Lit exceedingly in stripes 11:27 [a]Lit often in wakefulness [b]Lit nakedness; i.e. lack of clothing 11:28 [a]Or the things unmentioned 11:29 [a]Lit made to stumble [b]Lit and I do not burn 11:33 [a]Lit through

NLT

16 Again I say, don’t think that I am a fool to talk like this. But even if you do, listen to me, as you would to a foolish person, while I also boast a little. 17 Such boasting is not from the Lord, but I am acting like a fool. 18 And since others boast about their human achievements, I will, too. 19 After all, you think you are so wise, but you enjoy putting up with fools! 20 You put up with it when someone enslaves you, takes everything you have, takes advantage of you, takes control of everything, and slaps you in the face. 21 I’m ashamed to say that we’ve been too “weak” to do that!

But whatever they dare to boast about —I’m talking like a fool again —I dare to boast about it, too. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. 24 Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. 26 I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not.[*] 27 I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.

28 Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak without my feeling that weakness? Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger?

30 If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am. 31 God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, who is worthy of eternal praise, knows I am not lying. 32 When I was in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas kept guards at the city gates to catch me. 33 I had to be lowered in a basket through a window in the city wall to escape from him.

[11:26] Greek from false brothers.

Several years ago as I traveled to a speaking engagement on the East Coast, a president of a Christian college met me at the airport. As soon as I saw him, I recognized that something wasn’t quite right. He looked like the weight of the world had been stuffed into an invisible backpack and placed on his shoulders. He was stooped over and looked a little grim. I called his name, gave him a big hug, and said, “Well, how are you doing?”

He responded, “How am I doing? I’m growing and I am learning. That’s how I’m doing. You know, Chuck, several years ago I used to have a glib answer when people asked me ‘How are you doing?’ To keep things simple, I always responded loudly, ‘Fantastic!’ But these last few years I have decided to get real —to be honest. The best I can say today is ‘I’m growing and I’m learning, but I’m not fantastic!’”

I think some of us need to learn what the president of that school was honest enough to admit. When we always answer “Fantastic!” we frequently hide the reality of our pain and leave a false impression that our lives are a colorful bed of roses. Oh, on occasion we do enjoy those wonderful touches of God’s favor, times of great joy when we can honestly smile and utter “Fantastic!” But more often than not, the answer really ought to be, “I’m growing and I’m learning.”

Life that is lived realistically is not lived fantastically. Even the “best” Christians are not immune to abrasive and harsh rubs with reality. The painful shoves of disaster, disease, and death jostle the Christian as often as anyone else in this world. These things can leave our lives in shambles, tear apart our families, and leave us reeling for days, weeks, or even years. Real life often is the flip side of “fantastic.”

This translates into ministry as well. Like the rest of life, ministry can have its occasional fantastic moments, but more often than not we need to be prepared for the flip side, the day in, day out, during which we are simply growing and learning. Sometimes through pain. At other times through hardship. Always through patience and perseverance found through prayer and faith. That’s real ministry.

In the city of Corinth in the middle of the first century, the absence of a strong apostolic witness like Paul, Peter, or even the gifted teacher Apollos, created a vacuum of sound leadership that was quickly filled by false teachers. In they marched, looking better than Paul, preaching better than Paul, and touting impressive credentials Paul didn’t appear to have. As a result, Paul had to resort to a little boasting of his own qualifications and accomplishments (11:1-6), which he referred to as “a little foolishness.” The dazzling impression the false teachers made on the Corinthians forced Paul into the uncomfortable situation of having to assert his own credentials as an apostle (11:16-33).

Some of the marks of Paul’s authentic apostleship make up the flip side of fruitful ministry —the realistic picture of suffering, persecution, pain, and pressure that went along with his genuine concern for the churches. The false teachers put on a bright face of “fantastic!” On the other hand, Paul described the real ingredients of growing and learning through the trials of life.

— 11:16-21 —

Paul could barely tolerate the uncomfortable position in which the false teachers had put him. He had no qualms about writing page after page about Jesus Christ, His saving work, and our faith response to the gospel. He could pen long treatises on grace, practical instructions for the Christian life, and manuals for pastoral ministry. But when it came to pointing to his own accomplishments, Paul would rather hide under a rock than brag about himself. Something tells me that if Paul had to write a résumé today, he would leave so much out about himself that he would never get the job.

In 2 Corinthians 11:16-19, Paul apologizes for his need to go on boasting: “What I am saying, I am not saying as the Lord would, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting” (11:17). In other words, the kind of boasting he did was not Christlike. Jesus wouldn’t have done it. The Corinthians had become so enamored with the false teachers who foolishly boasted about their credentials, that Paul had determined to fight folly with folly. He would reluctantly put himself in the role of the foolish (aphrōn [878]) boaster, meeting the braggarts on their own turf and defeating them at their own game.

I can hear the disappointment in Paul’s words when he points out the abuse the Corinthians willingly endured at the hands of the false teachers (11:20). They enslaved the church to the yoke of legalistic bondage. They devoured them with their false doctrines. They took unfair advantage of their hospitality and financial generosity. They exalted themselves above the truly qualified leaders in the church. And they metaphorically struck the Corinthians in the face. And the worst part? Not a single one of them had any authority or right to do any of that! Here we see why Paul would willingly take such desperate rhetorical measures as to boast (kauchaomai [2744]) about his accomplishments in the proud manner of his opponents. Such people needed to be stopped.

Compared with the false teachers, Paul describes himself as weak (11:21). He had neither their worldly charisma nor their cultural sophistication. At least Paul never made it a point to display fancy rhetorical footwork or to emphasize his curriculum vitae. He didn’t hang his diplomas on his front door or drop names of the famous people he knew or studied under. So, on the surface Paul and his associates appeared “weak.” But with a sudden cataloguing of his credentials and accomplishments, the tide turns.

— 11:22-33 —

The false teachers had their set of impressive credentials. And once Paul decided to open the door to a little foolish boasting about things that didn’t really matter to the ministry (11:22), he matched them and even far exceeded them.

CREDENTIAL	FALSE TEACHERS	APOSTLE PAUL
Hebrew?	Yes	Yes
Israelite?	Yes	Yes
Descendant of Abraham?	Yes	Yes
Servant of Christ?	So-called	More so

Paul lingers on the last credential (11:23), because this is the heart of the matter. The Judaizing false teachers had a Hebrew pedigree, but did they have a heart of sincere devotion and sacrificial service to Christ? The Corinthians had become enslaved to these masters of rhetoric and oration. They had become impressed with the external sparkle of their slick, polished presentations. But had they considered the matter of this last credential?

So, were these bona fide Hebrews also authentic servants of Christ? Paul takes his boasting to a new level —except this level isn’t what anyone would have expected. Instead of listing his accomplishments, he highlights his setbacks (11:23-27)! Scar by scar, Paul shows the Corinthians his battle wounds. Each tells a story of genuine devotion to Christ in contrast to the false teachers’ life of comfort and ease. The Judaizers lived in a world in which they would use the word “fantastic!” to describe their ministries. And why not? They showed up in churches already established by Paul’s toil, tears, and tribulations. Like thieves harvesting where they hadn’t sown, the false teachers performed ministries of ease. On the other hand, Paul’s world of ministry was one of growing and learning, filled with pain, heartache, and uncertainty. Paul’s uphill, winding road followed Christ to the cross —a life of suffering and sorrow (Heb. 12:2-3; 1 Pet. 2:21). It also traced the steps of numerous saints who had gone before him (Heb. 11:35-38).

If all the crushing circumstances Paul rattled off (2 Cor. 11:23-27) weren’t enough to convince the Corinthians of his authentic ministry, Paul also ached with anxiety. He writes, “Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches” (11:28). Cumulatively, these pressures had molded Paul into the man he had become. They made him weak and defenseless, but also empathetic. He could therefore strengthen the weak and show his genuine concern for those tempted to sin (11:29).

When you have suffered like Paul —with both external and internal catastrophes, crises, and concerns —your faith moves from the theoretical realm into the practical. This allows for authentic spiritual learning and growing and genuine ministry as a true servant of Christ. It is true that “fantastic” days become the exception to the rule. But it is also true that a believer lives in the realm of the real rather than the imaginary. When you’ve been weakened by the trials of ministry, you understand a person in weakness. When you’ve been there yourself, you’re concerned, not condemning. Think about it. When you finally banish the fake “Fantastic!” response to “How are you doing?” you become vulnerable and accessible. Nobody weakened by calamities feels comfortable seeking comfort and understanding from so-called “successful” people who always have it all together. Nobody struggling with sin wants to get counsel from a believer who never seems to battle temptation.

Paul reemphasizes his weaknesses (astheneia [769]), not his strengths, as proof of his authentic servanthood (11:30). If he is forced to boast in defense of his ministry, Paul chooses to boast regarding his weaknesses. At the climax of this boasting, he tells the humiliating anecdote of narrowly escaping the city of Damascus in a basket through a window in the city wall (11:31-33). Can you imagine what Paul would have said that evening in response to the question, “So, Paul, how are you doing? Fantastic?”

Paul: “Sure, if ‘fantastic’ means you had to get dumped into a rickety basket like a sack of salt and lowered out a window like somebody’s trash. Thanks for asking, but honestly, I had a really bad day. Unimaginable, in fact. I thought I was going to die in Damascus! But I’m learning and growing from all of this. Always learning and always growing.”

I’m not sure how that person would have responded to Paul’s transparency, but I know it wouldn’t have been, “Oh, that’s nice,” or “Well, I’m fantastic, myself,” or “The sun’ll come out tomorrow.” Chances are much better that Paul’s openness would have granted an opportunity for sharing in another’s hardships and heartaches.

APPLICATION: 2 CORINTHIANS 11:16-33

Boasting Like Paul

I’m convinced that Paul’s credentials for ministry would have driven a pastoral search committee or missionary-sending agency absolutely batty. His was not at all like the pristine and impressive résumés flaunted by his professional opponents in Corinth. The contents of Paul’s lengthy curriculum vitae in 2 Corinthians 11:22-33 were written in blood, stained with tears, smeared with dirt, and tattered by enduring too much action in a raging spiritual war that left him stooped over, not standing erect. As I think about how to respond to this remarkable chapter, three things stand out about Paul’s descriptions of his credentials, his circumstances, and his character.

First, Paul doesn’t deny the pain and pressures of life. He doesn’t pretend that everything’s “fantastic!” when his world is crumbling around him. Never once does he suggest that following Christ is always a problem-free stroll through the park. In fact, take a moment now to ponder all of the hardships Paul endured in ministry. Compare them to the trials you have experienced in church life, outreach, discipleship, or other kinds of ministry in which you’ve been involved:

Labors	Frequent travels	Danger from false brethren
Imprisonments	Dangers from rivers	Hardship
Beatings	Dangers from robbers	Sleepless nights
Death threats	Danger from Jews	Hunger and thirst
Lashings	Danger from Gentiles	Starvation
Canings	Danger in the city	Coldness
Stoning	Danger in the country	Lack of clothing
Shipwrecks	Danger on the sea	Worry for the churches

Chances are, neither you nor anybody you know has experienced even half of these things in ministry. As we consider our own ministry plights, fears, frustrations, and challenges, however, we would do well to call to mind the lyrics of that great hymn by John Newton:

Thru many dangers, toils and snares,

I have already come;

’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,

And grace will lead me home.[158]

Second, Paul doesn’t market the misery of his ministry. Paul shared his litany of hardships only because he had to. You get the distinct impression that he found it awkward to talk about himself in these terms. He would much rather talk about the sufferings and triumph of Christ than about his own trials and buffetings. But in telling his story, he didn’t seek pity or consolation. He didn’t share war stories for public applause. He didn’t increase his fame as “the apostle who spent a day and a night adrift at sea” or “the minister who endured beatings, canings, and stoning.” I’m sure Paul easily could have marketed his experiences into an opportunity to increase his own renown as a bona fide hero.

We can learn much from this man. Candidly, we need to take care about talking too much about ourselves. It is a fine line between legitimately sharing a testimony of how God has worked in our lives in spite of hardship and becoming either a complainer or a braggart for our own gain. Our stories of agony and ecstasy can help comfort and encourage others. But we must always ask ourselves: Am I actually doing this because I want everybody to know what I’ve suffered in this life of faith? Are my reasons for telling this pure or tainted? What’s my motive?

Third, Paul doesn’t even try to explain why these things happened. So many people claim to be “fantastic!” because they believe that to confess anything negative would reflect poorly on their Savior. But God never promised smooth sailing. On the contrary, He promised a bumpy ride (John 16:33). In his account of suffering for the sake of the gospel, Paul makes no attempt at analyzing or moralizing. Though he could confess with all of us that he grew and learned from these experiences, he didn’t attempt to defend God by explaining exactly how he grew and what new things he learned. Most of the time, we can’t put such lessons into words. We, too, should learn to endure the suffering without obsessing over the “why” questions. They may never come this side of glory. And then, we won’t need an answer.